


Don't Bet Against Us

by BluePuffBall



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bets & Wagers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, supergirlsecretsanta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 13:44:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8982319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluePuffBall/pseuds/BluePuffBall
Summary: It had been just a bet. A stupid, ill-thought out bet, but just a bet all the same. It shouldn’t be so all-encompassing. It shouldn’t feel like her foundation was shaken. Like a core component of her life, of her very being, had slipped away and that she had let it. That she hadn’t fought for it.Prompt: Kara and Cat have a bet on who can hold off the longest from affection and intimacy.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thetemptationisstrong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetemptationisstrong/gifts).



> This story takes place after the Season 1 finale and ignores Season 2.

There was a knock on the door. Even with her super-hearing, or actually because of it, Kara was deaf to the noise. When she had first gained powers underneath Earth’s yellow sun that hadn’t been the case. Her abilities had made her hyper aware. Of _everything._ It had made high school a special hell for the Kryptonian. Hearing the other students snicker to themselves and call her _freak_ because they though she couldn’t hear, because they thought they were protected by distance, hurt.

Eventually, the human teenagers’ words mattered less. Kara knew they hadn’t stopped because her hearing still slipped. The lead lined glasses Jeremiah had gifted her helped. They certainly stopped her from seeing inside her classmates but they only dampened sound. Kara still caught unkind words directed towards herself.

The bond she formed with Alex was what really saved Kara from her peers, and herself. Their words didn’t matter because if Alex, a girl who hadn’t liked her at first, who thought she was weird and alien and just wanted her to be _human_ , said they were wrong, how could Kara disagree? Especially after the first time Alex called her sister. It was the first time the Kryptonian had felt welcome on Earth.

And then Alex had helped her with her control. Always a scientist at heart, Alex had insisted upon experimentation. It wasn’t anything diabolical, her sister hadn’t always been a secret agent, but the focus that Kara had to use in the experiments had reinforced her control. Her hearing went from picking up conversations miles away to the ability to block out the heartbeats of people in the same room.

Exercising that control to the point where Kara had been able to ignore not just the knock, but also her phone ringing almost nonstop for the past hour, wasn’t healthy.

Nothing about the past three weeks had been healthy, however. And the superhero was feeling decidedly un-super as she curled up on her couch, in her rather dusty, disused apartment. When was the last time she had been here before the bet? It couldn’t have been more than a week, could it? No, no, she had spent most of that week helping Carter with his art project. And the week before that was filled with damage control for Cat.

Kara shuddered at the name she had been trying to avoid, even in her own thoughts. She hadn’t realized that it would hurt so much, to be so close to her human, and unable to touch Cat. The Kryptonian clutched the blanket covering her closer. She didn’t hear the keys in the lock, the door opening, the rustle of something placed on the counter, or the footsteps that stopped by her. Kara only looked up when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, a familiar comforting weight.

“Kara? Are you…is everything alright?”

Otherworldly blue eyes took in the familiar sight of a face creased with concern, of brown eyes filled with worry as their owner knelt beside the couch. Alex Danvers would always be a protector, would always do everything in her power to shield Kara from the world, even if her little sister could fly. And Kara would always, always feel safe with Alex. Which is why the Kryptonian answered honestly, if silently. She shook her head.

“Kara…”

Alex rose to her feet, dropped onto the couch, and pulled her sister into her arms. In the background, the movie that Kara had put on played unheeded. She had been coming apart at the seams, missing Cat, who had become her largest pillar of support. It hurt so much because it was completely avoidable. And as Kara Zor-El Danvers allowed herself to fall to pieces in her sister’s arms, she thought of the instigating event that had led to this moment. 

* * *

 

Sometimes, Kara felt like she was dreaming. The feeling of utter contentment that filled her was rare but becoming more common. Especially in this room, in a penthouse apartment that Kara knew she would likely never be able to afford. That didn’t matter though, watching Cat – her girlfriend – and Carter laugh together over the Catan board made such things, not inconsequential, but less noticeable.

It still made her smile, after months, thinking about how Cat had let Kara into her life. It had taken all of the Kryptonian’s courage to approach her former boss after her promotion. Well, former boss in regards to direct reporting at least. There were several factors that pushed Kara to take the leap, to try and go after what she wanted. Other than almost dying, the largest was the fact that Cat _saw_ her. As she said her goodbyes, Cat was the only person who called her on it, the only person who noticed that Kara was acting differently.

It wasn’t _exactly_ a dictated suicide note, what Kara said before flying Fort Rozz into space. But it was close. And that feeling, of being seen whether in a cardigan or cape, the sensation of normality, was something Kara craved desperately. After realizing that Cat provided that, that she felt that way around Cat, Kara couldn’t stop herself. She had to try.

It wasn’t easy, of course. It took weeks to summon up enough of her alter-ego’s courage to approach Cat. Funny, that Kara could face death without flinching, but throw in Cat Grant and emotions and she felt like flying away.

Even after she said yes, Kara couldn’t stop freaking out. _Cat Grant_ had just agreed to go on a date. With mild-mannered, former assistant Kara Danvers. Even with the stumbling start and multiple rambles that Kara went on, the women had still ended up here. Happy and comfortable with each other.

“… Kara?” Carter asked, his voice interrupting her musings.

Kara blinked, before focusing. She realized that, no, she really had no idea what he was asking and offered a sheepish smile to the teen. “Sorry Bud, I got a little lost in my head – what did you want?”

He offered a teasing smile, before commenting. “You’ll never win if your head isn’t in the game Danvers.”

“You sure about that? ‘Cause it seems to me that I’m still in the lead.” Kara smirked, gesturing toward the board.

“Really Kara,” Cat sniffed. “You should know how quickly things can change in this game. I think you’re losing your touch. You’ve even missed taking a few cards darling.”

Kara gasped. “And you didn’t tell me!? You’re both traitors!”

The Kryptonian leapt from her seat and – gently, always gently – tackled Carter from the couch. Then she began to tickle him. Kara wouldn’t have dared to do this at first, too worried about how he would react. Too worried at encroaching on boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. But time had made them comfortable together, and this was hardly the first time Kara had surprised the teen with affection.

“Kara, Kara – please, please stop –“ Carter’s pleas were interrupted by his giggles, and there was no true distress in his voice.

“You see now the true price of betrayal!” Kara laughed, continuing her ‘torture’ for a few more minutes before stopping. She rolled off the teen, remaining flat on her back on the floor while Carter tried to catch his breath.

Cat was sitting primly in her armchair, looking beautiful make-up free and dressed down in sweatpants. She was heart-achingly beautiful always but seeing her without designer armor was a gift. It showed Kara how much the other woman trusted her, that Cat allowed the Kryptonian around not only around her son but herself. The warm smile and sparkle in her green eyes was also a gift. One that made Kara’s own smile shine brighter.

The smile on Cat’s face transformed into a smirk as she arched one golden eyebrow. “I thought both of us were traitors Kara. How is it fair that you only punished my son?”

The Kryptonian forced herself to swallow past the lump in her throat. That expression combined with that tone of voice was dangerous. No matter how many times it happened, the fact that Cat wanted Kara was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. She hoped that she never lost that feeling.

Instead of responding verbally, Kara rolled to her feet and began to slowly stalk towards Cat. The smirk fell off the older woman’s face as she watched her lover approach. The silence was disconcerting. “Kara – “

Whatever Cat was going to say was lost as the Kryptonian pounced. They weren’t knocked off the chair this time as Kara started her tickling assault on the media mogul. Despite what many would think Cat was, indeed, ticklish. And Kara took full advantage as she left her partner gasping for breath.

Unsurprisingly, feeling the woman squirm underneath her left Kara equally short of air. That and the fact that Cat never failed to mesmerize her partner when she was safe and happy. Rao, even when she _wasn’t_ happy Cat was mesmerizing but Kara could never resist a joyful Cat. Which is why the Kryptonian closed the small distance and kissed her human, forgetting entirely about the fourteen-year-old in the same room. At least until the loud, “Gross, do you guys really have to do that in front of me?”

Surprised, Kara violently jerked away from Cat’s mouth. This led to her landing on the floor in an uncoordinated pile of Kryptonian limbs with a thud. There was a small pause as the two Grants looked at the blushing blonde on the floor before both started laughing. Kara’s flustered feelings died down as she watched both Carter and Cat be happy, even if it was at her expense.

She rose from her position on the floor and then sat right back down on Cat. Kara wrapped her arm around Cat’s shoulders, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and settled in for some snuggling. Carter gave a semi-disgusted noise before saying, “I think I’m going to go to bed. That way you can be gross all you want.”

Kara wasn’t worried about Carter was saying, she knew that he was happy that she was with his mom. He just had some problems watching them be physically intimate because, in his words, _it’s weird to see Mom acting like a lovesick teenager._ Carter even came over and gave both of them hugs, despite them still being ‘gross’ before heading up to his room.

Cat sighed, threading her arms around the younger woman in her lap. Kara pulled back slightly, so she could actual see Cat’s face. She started playing with Cat’s hair as she watched her human relax even more. When her green, kryptonite eyes opened Kara smiled.

“I think you have a problem.” Cat stated, with all the certainty that came from being the Queen of All Media.

“Oh?” Kara hummed as she continued to run her fingers through Cat’s silky locks.

“Yes, I don’t think you can keep your hands off me.” The older woman spoke, smirk firmly in place.

Kara glanced down at the arms holding her. “I doubt I’m the only one with that problem then.”

Cat scoffed, withdrawing her arms. “It is not a _problem_ for me Kara. I am completely in control of my actions. I can keep my hands to myself.”

“Really?” Kara asked. “I bet you couldn’t.”

The CEO gave Kara a glare that used to make her fear for her job, if not her very life. Now it made the Kryptonian smile. Which made Cat glare harder. It was lucky she didn’t have heat vision.

“Of course I could.” Cat said, with an irritated sniff. “I’ll even prove it.”

“So…you’re actually going to take that bet? A bet that you can keep your hands off of me?” Kara asked, with a flirtatious smile.

“I never back down Kara. You should know that.” Cat paused, “But I don’t think it would be fair if you were able to touch me while I couldn’t return the favor. No, this bet is going to go both ways.”

“So you suggest that we see who can hold off on being affectionate the longest to solve this argument?”

“Yes Kara, that’s exactly what I’m saying, you do know how I enjoy repeating myself.”

The Kryptonian shook her head even as she agreed. “Alright Cat. But you know, people usually bet to win something.”

“Well, I could think of a few things…” Cat said before leaning up and kissing Kara.

“I thought – “ Kara struggled to speak as Cat continued to pepper her with kisses. “What about the bet?”

“Oh, we won’t start that until tomorrow.”

* * *

 

Such a happy evening that ended with a bet that Kara didn’t even think they would actually follow through with. But she forgot that it was Cat Grant, who built a media empire from scratch, who wasn’t in the habit of giving up, who rarely backed down. So the next morning, the bet was indeed in play.

It started small, with no kiss goodbye in the morning. They still had lunch together but both focused on their food and quickly returned to work. By the end of the first day, both Cat and Kara realized how difficult not losing the bet would be.

By the end of the third day, there had been several close calls on both woman’s parts. But neither had broken the bet. Both had managed to withhold their affection from each other. Kara knew that it had to be affecting both of them, that Cat was just as affectionate as she was, but that the CEO could just hide it better. It didn’t make it hurt any less, but Kara was determined to prove that she could be just as stubborn as Cat. She refused to lose this bet.

By the end of the fifth day, each woman was putting up walls, trying to create distance to prevent any slip ups.

By the end of the first week, Cat was calling Kara _Keira_.

By the end of the ninth day, Kara started returning to her loft rather than the penthouse.

By the end of the tenth, Kara stopped responding to Cat’s calls.

On the eleventh day, there was a major earthquake in Jakarta. Paired with extreme flooding, it required both Supergirl and Superman to be on scene to try and prevent a massive loss of innocent lives. Kara had never felt so glad to respond to a super-emergency. Or so guilty for being happy about it. But airlifting people out and holding up infrastructure made it harder to miss Cat. The thousands of miles and the desperate straits of the civilians helped.

Kara spent eight days helping the people of Indonesia almost nonstop.

By the end of the twentieth day, Kara was back in National City, in her lonely apartment.

She had spent today ordering take-out and binge watching Harry Potter. She had managed to make it part way through the Half Blood Prince before Alex had walked in.

“Hey, Kara, tell me what’s wrong?” Alex asked, as she rubbed soothing circles on the Kryptonian’s back.

Kara shook her head as she curled more into her sister. It had been just a bet. A stupid, ill-thought out bet, but just a bet all the same. It shouldn’t be so all-encompassing. It shouldn’t feel like her foundation was shaken. Like a core component of her life, of her very being, had slipped away and that she had _let_ it. That she hadn’t fought for it.

“Kara…” Alex’s voice was filled with the tone that Kara could never resist. It was the perfect mixture of supportive and questioning that always managed to get her to speak. The DEO agent pulled back slightly, gently lifting her sister’s face to meet her eyes. “You can tell me…Please tell me.”

“It’s…It’s stupid.” Kara choked out.

“Nothing that makes you feel like this is stupid Kara. C’mon, tell your big sister about it so I can fix it.”

The Kryptonian half-sobbed and half-laughed. “I don’t think you can fix this Alex.”

“Try me.” Alex said, her face set in a mask of worry and concentration.

Slowly, Kara haltingly told her sister about the bet. About what had been going on the past few weeks, why she was avoiding Cat, and how everything had made her feel. She felt hurt and sad but didn’t see a way out, she was committed to this path. Besides, with the way Kara had been behaving, why would Cat even want her to come back?

“Don’t say that Kara. Don’t ever say that. I may not have agreed with you starting this relationship, and I may have hated Cat Grant before I met her – “ Kara’s lips twitched at that. “ – but I changed my mind after I did. You know why?”

Kara shrugged.

“That woman loves you. She’d give you the world Kara, all you have to do is ask.”

A watery smile was the only response.

“Besides, who wouldn’t want you back? You’re amazing – even before the whole Supergirl thing.”

Alex was smiling as Kara gave a half-hearted chuckle. She took a napkin from the coffee table and wiped her younger sister’s face. Then the agent stood up, grabbed the box she had brought and sat back down.

“So. Let’s plan how to fix this while we eat the cupcakes I brought.”

* * *

 

On the twenty-second day since the beginning of the bet, Kara woke up rejuvenated. She had a plan. She was going to fix this. She wasn’t going to let Cat go easily, not unless the woman clearly stated that was her desire.

With her complete focus on her end goal, Kara’s day passed quickly as she not only went to work but also gathered the small amount of requisite materials to execute the, rather simple, plan.

At 8 PM she stood outside Cat’s door, holding a bouquet that, while not conventional, said exactly how Kara felt about Cat and this situation. A few pink camellias to represent Kara’s longing for Cat, some purple hyacinths to say “sorry” and ask forgiveness. And the remainder of the flowers were red chrysanthemums to say “I love you”.

Kara took one final moment to smooth out her dress – a blue reminiscent of her suit, it was her color – before knocking on the door. Waiting for the door to open was torture but it didn’t feel right to use her key for this.

When the door opened, Kara’s breath caught. There she was. There was Cat, still in her work clothes – minus a blazer. There she was, with a surprised look that quickly turned into her inscrutable mask. Only, Kara knew exactly what it meant in this situation. It meant that Cat was hurt and hiding it. That Kara had hurt Cat. The Kryptonian swallowed down her self-disgust as she held out the flowers.

“These – these are for you.”

Blank green eyes seemed to pierce through to Kara’s very soul. When that gaze moved to the bouquet, with no action taken or words spoken she got worried. Each second felt like an eternity as Kara waited for her human to make a move. Slowly, ever so slowly, Cat took the flowers that Kara was holding. Seconds ticked by into minutes and still Cat remained silent.

The Kryptonian cleared her throat nervously before asking, “Do – could I come in please?”

Cat titled her head to the side, before spinning on her heel and walking towards to kitchen. She left the door wide open. Kara guessed that was about all the welcome she should expect. Stepping through, Kara quietly closed the door and leaned against it taking a deep breath as she did so.

“You can do this Danvers.” She whispered to herself but it felt wrong, incomplete. “You are the last daughter of the House of El. You can do this.”

Feeling some small measure of confidence seep into her being from the reminder, Kara straightened up before going to find Cat. The flowers were in a vase and the woman was sitting on a barstool with her head in her hands. Kara ached to see her human look so defeated. “I wanted to apologize. For, um, not talking to you and also shutting you out.”

Cat raised her face and Kara gasped at the sight of the tears streaking down those cheeks. “You’re sorry?”

The Kryptonian cringed at the broken tone and reached up to fiddle with her glasses. “I, of course, I didn’t handle this well. I should’ve told you – what I was feeling. I shouldn’t have let myself keep hurting us just because of some stupid bet…”

The CEO laughed. It was high-pitched and fake. It was a laugh Kara had heard hundreds of times at galas and in meetings. “Of course you’re sorry. Of course you’d be that perfect.”

“I – I don’t think I understand, Cat.”

The older woman bared her teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I’m the one who suggested that ridiculous bet. I’m the one who started calling you _Keira_ again.”

The name made Kara flinch slightly. Cat noticed. She always noticed. It was her superpower. Her final sentence was defeated.

“I’m the one who drove you away.”

Kara finished closing the distance between them, and pulled her lover, her girlfriend, her human into her arms. If Cat had fought at all, Kara would’ve stopped. But she didn’t, Cat just collapsed into Kara’s arms like it was the simplest thing in the world to do. The Kryptonian was easily able to feel the tears that Cat was shedding against her collarbone.

“No Cat. You didn’t drive me away.”

Cat looked up at her in disbelief, eyes shining and face open. She looked so, so vulnerable.

“You didn’t. Well, you reverting back to the Keira thing hurt, but you didn’t drive me away. Not permanently. I love you Cat.”

The older woman buried her head into Kara’s shoulder, to avoid seeing the earnest blue directed toward her.

“I do Cat. I love you so much. And I’m going to do everything I can to make you believe that again. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

It took her super-hearing, but Kara was able to make out the “I love you too” and “I’m sorry” that were spoken into her neck. The Kryptonian rubbed soothingly at Cat’s back with one hand, and tangled her other into Cat’s hair. When her human was calmer, Kara smiled softly and said, “It takes two to tango. And I think we can both honestly say that we made this mess together.”

Cat gave a breathy laugh and nodded.

“We’re going to fix it together to, because we’re stronger together.”

Nodding, Cat pulled away so she could actually look Kara in the eyes when she responded. “El Mayara.”

The Kryptonian’s heart skipped a beat at hearing her mother tongue fall from her human’s lips. She gave Cat her full, shinning smile. “El Mayara…”

The two leaned in for a kiss. It was chaste, a reaffirmation that they would fix this, that they would continue to try. Because their relationship was worth fighting for. As they pulled apart Kara whispered, “Cat?”

“Yes darling?”

“This may have been a terrible idea, and a miserable three weeks, but I still wouldn’t bet against us.”

Cat laughed, her real laugh this time. The one that made Kara’s heart jump into her throat and her train of thought derail.

“No, Kara, I don’t think I would either.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, I hope that [thetemptationisstrong](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thetemptationisstrong) (and all other readers) enjoyed this fic! This was my first time writing for this fandom, so please let me know how I manged to do with characterization. Any constructive feedback is more than welcome. As a final note before I sign off, this hasn't been beta'd so any mistakes are mine.
> 
> Happy holidays everyone!


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